The Cook Islands prime minister has suggested a double standard, after the New Zealand government cut its development assistance to the tune of nearly $20 million.

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown says he will only re-work constitutional ties with New Zealand if the new agreement makes it clear his country is now "more independent" — risking a fresh ...

New Zealand has halted more than $18 million in development assistance to its realm country. But the island's prime minister said his government was "aware" it was coming.

The funding cut leaves the Cook Islands facing a sudden financial shortfall, prompting warnings that Wellington's approach could backfire What began as a quiet series of infrastructure deals between ...

Opposition has grown in the Cook Islands to any threat its pacts with China pose to close ties with New Zealand, and Brown’s government faces a no-confidence vote in parliament due after Feb. 25 ...

New Zealand has what is known as a "free association" relationship with the Cook Islands, and helps the latter with defence and foreign affairs. In the last three years, Wellington provided NZ$194m in ...

Why a deal with China has strained New Zealand’s ties with the Cook Islands - Beijing’s growing influence in the South ...

China hoped to increase “political trust” and belt and road cooperation with the Cook Islands, Premier Li Qiang told his visiting counterpart Mark Brown when they met on Friday.

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown speaks during a plenary session at the COP29 UN Climate Summit, Nov. 13, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. [AP Photo/Sergei Grits] ...

Cook Islands' Prime Minister Mark Brown said on Thursday he had held discussions with institutions on marine science, climate resilience and economic cooperation so far during a trip to China that ...

The Cook Islands, population 15,000, has a large and lucrative exclusive economic zone, with Brown’s government exploring prospects for deep sea mining activity.